Canon EOS mount and Panasonic GH cameras

[Ron German]

I have a canon T2i and a Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 (with Canon EOS mount).
Could I easilly find an adaptor for this and other Canon EOS mount lenses to use with GH (1 or 2) cameras?
If so, they would keep the lenses eletronic properties (like auto-focus)?
Thanks

[Jay Bratcher]

Don't the EOS lenses have an electric contact to set the aperture, via a motor in the lens? Or am I thinking of something else? I know there are some for Nikon G lenses, but they have a mechanical interface to the camera...

That being said, none of the auto functions would work from the GH1. You would need to focus manually, and if you can find an adapter that lets you do it, set the aperture manually as well. On the upside, the GH1 can meter with any lens, so aperture priority would work as expected, in both still and video mode...

[Ron German]

Thank you Jay
In fact, I don`t care about the auto functions. I`ll use the GH2, as my T2i, basicaly for vídeo and mainly in native 24p.
So the question is if I can easily find in USA marketplace or EBAY Canon EOS mount adaptors to use with GH2, assuming the system will work perfectly manually.
Thanks

[Jay Bratcher]

Hi Ron -

Absolutely - they do make them:

Canon EOS EF lens To Micro 4/3 m43 Adapter 4 GF1 GH1 G1 - eBay (item 220614919120 end time Sep-28-10 13:14:37 PDT)

$25 US - not bad, considering what I paid for my Nikon adapter several months ago :)

Note though, that another adapter I have seen - basically the same one but at 2x the price - has this to say:

note that EOS lens use in-camera electronic aperture control, so unfortunately you can't control the aperture on your EOS lens... good thing is the aperture is by default at maximum, so you can shoot with your EOS lens wide-open (just can't stop-down though.)

So, you will always be shooting wide open with an EOS lens on the GH1.

Hope this helps...

[Kin Lau]

I have a EOS->m43 adapter and it works well. As mentioned already, the electronic functions don't work.

I use mine mostly for tele's with tripod mounts. I also use it with m42->EOS, C/Y->EOS, N/AI->EOS, OM->EOS adapters as well, since I already have all those adapters, so a EOS->m43 adapter makes a lot of sense for me.

[Ron German]

Thank you Jay and Kin
Not be able to stop-down the lens is not good, because the best aperture is 2-3 stops down the maximum.
But I will probably live with that, in case I buy the GH2.
Regards
Ron

[Thomas Richter]

You don't have to keep the lens wide open. You can set the aperture you want on a Canon body, press the aperture preview button (aperture will close, look at the lens pupil, you'll see it closing), keep holding it as you unmount the lens. There you go, now it is permanently set to that new exposure until you mount on the Canon body again.

I just tried this with my 5D2 and my Tamron 28-75 and it works like described. Took a little leap of faith, though. I don't know if I'll keep doing it as I don't know if there can be long term damage. But some minutes on google will find you plenty of other people advertising this method.

Disclaimer: Try that at your own risk! This could break camera and/or lens.

I love the 28-75 - it's great for rack focus as it doesn't breathe.

[Ron German]

Thank you Thomas. Yes, I have to think...
I like my Tamron too, the contrast and colors are very nice.
I wonder if it works without many optical problems with a full frame camera.
Regards
Ron